Book Reviews - Tudor History
By: Stephanie Joyner
My historical area of interest is late medieval to early modern British history,specifically female authorship in Tudor and Stuart England. Given that interest, I enjoy reading British history. I’d like to share some of my recommendations for anyone also interested in Women’s History in this exciting era! I’ll give my ratings and why on each book!
Daybell, James. Women Letter-Writers in Tudor England. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2018. $34.99, Amazon.
This book is a detailed collection and analysis of female letter-writing in the Tudor period. At the time, letter-writing served a multitude of purposes: political, religious, personal correspondence, educational, court matters, etc., and Daybell opens the reader to the intimate female-centric worldview. Female history, especially the history of female education, literacy, authorship, and agency in the Tudor period has largely been an unstudied topic. Daybell immerses the reader into a world of women and how their thoughts, writings, and influence were utilized to elicit power in various ways (familial, local, political, religious…). If you’re interested in gender studies, women’s history, female authorship, or Tudor England, this book is a must-read! For scholars, there is a diverse collection of primary sources to draw upon and, of course, the great analyses by Daybell are perfect for research into this specific area! I rate it 5 out of 5 smiley faces because it is easy to read and understand, provides primary source material, and different from popular, typical Tudor history!
2. Gristwood, Sarah. Arbella Stuart: The England’s Lost Queen. Bantam Press, 2004. $7.79, Thriftbooks.com
This is a fabulous read! This book introduced me to Arbella Stuart and her consideration as Queen Elizabeth I’s heir. Arbella was the niece of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, and her grandmother was the formidable Bess of Hardwick. Gristwood traces Arbella’s history and provides a thorough biographical analysis of her dramatic, yet devastating life. Gristwood proposes that Arbella was the more likely candidate, over James IV, for the English throne. Gristwood also emphasizes that Elizabeth’s advisors and counselors were planning secretly, prior to her death, to secure the throne for James. It is an interesting take and introduces a relatively obscure historical figure in the actual “Game of Thrones” in Tudor-Stuart England. I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars. It is hard to get into and is a bit dry, but informative nonetheless! Plus, meeting a new historical figure and learning about them is exciting. I will admit, it took me a few days to complete the book, hence the 4 out of 5 rating.
3. Borman, Tracy. Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Forever Changed British History. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2023. $15.99, Amazon.
I picked this book up during my trip to England this past summer and it did not disappoint! I was so captivated by it that I even read it at pubs and while visiting the hotel bar; once I started it, I couldn’t stop! Tracy Borman is one of my favorite Tudor historians and this book is a perfect example of insight she consistently provides. She approaches the narrative with biographical histories of each woman and highlights that, while Anne was beheaded, her life, legacy, and ideas lived on and came to fruition under her daughter, Elizabeth I. Although Elizabeth had little time with her mother, Borman argues that Elizabeth kept her memory alive and well throughout her life and reign. She implemented heraldic devices that included bits and pieces of her Boleyn family, she favored the Boleyn side of her family in courtly positions, and she recreated her mother’s coronation for her own. Elizabeth was proud of her mother and hoped to polish her own name (because it was consistently related with the damning reputation of her mother) and restore Anne’s reputation, while bolstering her own claim to the throne. This book is a fascinating read that provides a window into how influential Anne’s life was and how Elizabeth embraced it to change the course of history, empower women, and enhance the perception of female monarchs in British history.
